Golden Corral in Boardman closes

The Golden Corral restaurant on U.S. Route 224 here has closed, according to Bob McDevitt, Golden Corral’s senior vice president for franchising.

The all-you-can-eat buffet was operated by independent franchisee Dan Gentile, who informed McDevitt on Tuesday that he decided to close the restaurant.

“Frankly, as busy as it seems, the restaurant did not perform up to his expectations,” McDevitt said, adding that the winter weather also played a role.

Gentile could not be reached to comment Thursday.

McDevitt said Golden Corral hopes to reopen the store, but that process could take months. He said the company is reaching out to other franchisees in the area who are looking to expand.

“That won’t happen fast. It never does,” McDevitt said.

“Given the circumstances, it may stay closed,” he said.

Golden Corral has been operating restaurants since 1973, and the company began franchising in 1986. Of the 490 restaurants across the country, 370 are franchises and 120 are operated by the company, McDevitt said.

Franchise owners obtain a license to operate the Golden Corral brand, and have access to new products, advertising and promotions, which are all handled by the company. They are otherwise independent of the Raleigh, N.C.-based company.

When it first opened the food was good. The food got terrible, the cooks got nasty with each other and customers. Kids running around touching all the food and making a mess. Alot of trashy looking ppl eating there. Tables too close together and ppl sitting on top of each other. Good bye....no big lose.

It was the first of the month trash that made the place terrible, not Golden Corral itself. But when you open an AYCE buffet in an area as struggling as Youngstown, trash is going to overrun it. God knows where all of those people are eating today, but I feel sorry for those places.

As I remember, this Golden Corral was one of the test restaurants for the "everything " menu. Italian, Mexican, Asian, Seafood, etc.When you try to do too many things, badly.. it's obvious what the outcome will be. Food cost and labor cost? Who actually ate the pasta and pizza? Who actually ate the Asian Bar stuff? I ate breakfast there many Sundays... generally for the institutional scrambled eggs and the insanely good deep fried thick cut bacon strips.Powdered mashed potatoes, gravy and veg in a #10 can..not what people want for dinner. Especially since all the cookie cutter fast casual restaurants on 224 and South seem to be packed.

it was the filth on the utensils and plates cups bowls,not just this one but the one here in PIttsburgh. the boardman one here I complained cos my cotton candy stick had a booger on it,the manager gave us 4 free meals. they know of the filth. I picked up a soup bowl and it had dried chocolate in the bottom. I told the Manager and he just blew it off claiming a young child put it back and it wasn't the dishwashers fault. BS!! the forks spoons are always dirty,i actually took a golden corral plate home and my buddy ran tests on it and found all kinds of nastiness on it. And it is true all the trash do go there. they trailer trash let their under 12 year old kids go to the buffet alone,they touch things finger things,kids got sickness more than adults,and we eat what they finger. the one here is always COLD the food is cold,they never do temp tests on the food like fire mountain and old country buffet does. Golden Dumpster used to be good,but lately it just plain sucks. and what's with the spoutin bible verses,lol golden dumpster needs a prayer to re open. put old country buffet in,food much better.

If you high and mighty people don't like to eat at buffets why do you go to themMost of the people that go on the first of the month are seniors that have worked all there lives.So if you think you are better than they are stay away and you will not have to see us!!!